THE GERONTOLOGY

 

 

 

 

Gerontology Program       Minnesota State University, Mankato    Fall 2004

Center on Aging

 

Program Office Hours

    The Gerontology Program Office is available to assist students, professionals, and community members in accessing information about our program and about issues and services related to our aging population.  The office phone number is (507) 389-1563.  Typical office hours are Monday 10:00 - 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise posted.  Stop by and visit, we are here to provide assistance!

Gerontology Scholarship To Be Awarded

 

        The Rose M. Hull Scholarship was established by Mrs. B.H. Chesley in memory of her mother Rose M. Hull.  Through the endowment’s funds, the Gerontology program at Minnesota State University, Mankato will award a scholarship up to $1600 for the 2005-2006 academic school year.  The purpose of this scholarship is to recognize and encourage distinguished study in the field of gerontology and to provide financial assistance to gerontology students preparing for a career in the service of older adults.  Eligible students must be graduate or undergraduate students at MSU and be working with elders or wish to take gerontology course work. 

 

        Scholarship application forms may be obtained from the Gerontology Program/Center on Aging office in Trafton N335 or can be downloaded from the Gerontology Program web site at application.  Deadline for applications is March, 2005.  For more information, please call 507-389-1563.

 

New Faculty Member

Jeffrey Buchanan

 

The Gerontology program welcomes a new addition to the faculty this year.  Jeffrey Buchanan is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Psychology department who will be teaching Psychology of Aging in the future.  Professor Buchanan’s specialty is in gerontological psychology with an emphasis on families and patients dealing with Alzheimer’s disease.  His interest in aging began as a child where he spent a lot of time with elderly relatives and grew accustomed to nursing homes. His interest in aging became academic in his undergraduate years as he did some work in an assisted living home. Professor Buchanan received his bachelor’s degree from University of Northern Iowa.  He attended Minnesota State at Mankato for his Master’s and received his PhD from University of Nevada at Reno.  He comes to MSU from VA Hospital in the Twin Cities where he was working in the memory disorder clinic.  While there he was doing staff education, direct care assistance and developing restraint free interventions.  Within the field of aging psychology he has done work with post-traumatic stress disorder as well as depression.  Buchanan has conducted research on and implemented programs for reducing stress in the caregivers of those with dementia.  His extensive clinical work will be utilized in his courses as he anticipates emphasizing both research methods and clinical practice in his teaching so that students can come away with an idea of the possibilities in this expanding and important field.  While here at MSU he will continue his work and research with the aged in the community. 

 

Memory Walk: Marching towards A Cure for Alzheimer's

 

        The Alzheimer’s Association is the world leader in Alzheimer research and support.  For more than two decades the Alzheimer’s Association has provided reliable information, created supportive services for families, increased resources for dementia research, and influenced changes in public policy.  This association offers a broad range of programs and services for people with the disease, families, care partners, residential care professionals, and professional health care providers.  It works everyday to find better methods of prevention, treatment and, hopefully soon, a cure! 

 

        One of the ways that the Alzheimer’s Association raises money is by sponsoring a Memory Walk.  This event is a national fundraiser to help those battling Alzheimer’s Disease.  Since 1989, the Memory Walk has raised $149 million for programs and services for individuals with this disease, their families, and caregivers. 

 

New Faces in Gerontology

 

The Gerontology Program is fortunate to have four graduate assistants for the 2004-2005 school year.  We have three newcomers to the graduate office, first year grad student Christa Peters, and two second year grad students Naoko Nagahima and Kendra Nordick.  The fourth returning graduate assistant is second year grad student Shelly Sohre.  Christa joins us from Valparaiso University of Indiana where she received her Bachelor of Arts in International Service and a Bachelor of Social Work.  She became interested in aging issues after working two summers in an assisted living home in New Jersey, which is where she calls home.  Christa is specifically interested in policy and international aging issues.  Naoko is originally from Kawaski City, Japan.  Naoko received her Bachelor of Science in Gerontology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from King’s College of Pennsylvania.  After finishing her graduate degree in Gerontology Naoko hopes to attend a doctorial program to earn her Ph.D.  Her goal is to return to Japan and become a professor at a University.  Kendra received her Bachelor of Science in sociology and a minor in social welfare from Luther College of Iowa.  Her home town is Pelican Rapids, Minnesota where she grew up in a rural setting.  After completing her Master’s degree Kendra would like to work with rural aging issues and Alzheimer’s research.  Kendra’s goals are to travel the world, retire to the lakes of Minnesota and achieve her life long goal of reaching the age of 120.  Shelly returns to the graduate office for her second year as a graduate assistant.  Shelly was able to do her internship this summer at the Fairmont Medical Center Hospice Program and was able to get hands on experience with hospice.  To remind you all of Shelly’s interests she hopes to become an administrator of an assisted living facility after graduation this coming May.

 

MAGEC: Shirley Murray

 

The Minnesota Area Geriatric Education Center (MAGEC) was established in 1988, with the main office located at the University of Minnesota Center on Aging.  MAGEC focuses on educational programs for service providers working in the aging field as well as strengthening geriatric education networks.  Currently there are regional MAGEC offices located in Canby, Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, St. Cloud and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 

 

Shirley Murray is the director of MAGEC South located on the campus of MSU.  Shirley is an MSU graduate, and also serves as the Director of Continuing Education for MSU's College of Allied Health and Nursing. 

 

MAGEC South has been involved with several projects this past year.  MAGEC was a co-sponsor of the 10^th annual Alzheimer’s and Dementias: Challenge of Caring conference held October 28 at SCTC in Mankato. Earlier in September, MAGEC South sponsored a program on Risk Management for Quality Care of Older Adults.  The next MAGEC South regional conference will be held March 31, 2005 at SCTC.  Titled, ‘Making Care Coordination and Communication Work,’ it will focus on meeting the needs of those with chronic or terminal illnesses and their family members.

 

MAGEC South has also been involved in the creation of an Assisted Living Orientation Curriculum.  A group of assisted living providers in southern Minnesota have participated in this venture, which has been funded by the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership grant and coordinated by Anne Willaert of the Healthcare Education Industry Partershhip.  This curriculum will be presented at the American Society on Aging annual meeting in Philadelphia in March 2005. 

 

MAGEC South also has a resource library including books, videos and curriculum modules available for service providers to borrow.  For more information on conferences or resources provided by MAGEC South, visit their website at www.intech.mnsu.edu/magec or contact Shirley Murray at (507) 389-5194 or shirley.murray@mankato.msus.edu. 

 

Careers in Aging

 

Populations are aging rapidly in U.S.  People born today can expect to live beyond their 75th year and  one in eight is over 65. And the age group growing fastest in our society  is the "very old," people aged 85 and over. By 2050, 25% of population will be the 65 and over. These facts create the new growing market of specialized goods and services for elders including healthy and not healthy elders.

The careers in aging provides many different opportunities to serve the needs of diverse within the elderly population.  Each elderly has different needs depending on the factors such as gender, race, economic status and ethnicity.

 

So what kind of jobs are there?  Professionals in the aging  works in variety of settings.  You may work directly with elderly population such as health care administrator, counselors for elderly, their family and caregivers, and advisor for financial investments and planning, financing long-term care or housing options.  Also you can work as the other professionals such as educator for the people working in the aging field, investigating or issues in aging.  There are also great chances to create your own businesses for the need you find.  One of our alumni run the on-line shop that provides information for purchasing adaptive equipment for the independent living senior. 

 

For more information, visit the website http://careersinaging.comand for information of the on-line shop, visit the websiteThe Assisted Living Storeor call at toll free 1-888-388-5862.

 

The Gerontology Program Spring Semester Course 2005

 

CORE COURSE

COURSE #	CLASS	TIME	Professor
GERO 600	Theories and Practice	Th 6-8:45 P.M.	Elliott
GERO 200	Aging: Interdisciplinary Perspective	M 6-8:45 P.M	Elliott

ELECTIVES

BIOL 517	Biology of Aging	W 6-8:50 P.M.	Bentley
FCS 574	Residential Management for Families & Special Needs People	F 10-1:30 P.M.	Young
RPLS	Leisure needs of Aging	M 4-6:50 P.M	Wise
HLTH4/555	Health and Aging	Th 6-8:45 P.M.	Nandy
PSYC 4/566	Psychology of Aging	W 10-12:45 P.M.	Buchanan
SOWK 4/519	Social Work and Aging	W 6-8:45 P.M.	Frank
GERO 677	Individual Study		Elliott
GERO 697	Internship		Elliott
GERO 984/699	APP/Thesis		Elliott

NURSING HOME ADMINISTRATION

MGMT 330	Principles of Management	Multiple Sections
ACCT 210	Managerial Accounting	Multiple Sections
GERO 200	Aging: Interdisciplinary Perspective	M 6-8:45 P.M	Elliott
GERO 600	Theories and Practice	Th 6-8:45 P.M.	Elliott
NURS 340	Gerontological Nursing	F 10-11:50 A.M>	Smith
HLTH4/555	Health and Aging	Th 6-8:45 P.M.	Nandy
MGMT 4/555	Human Resource Management	Multiple Sections
MGMT 200	Introduction to MIS	Multiple Sections
Gero4/698	Practicum in Nursing Home Administration		Elliott

A member of the Minnesota State College and Universities System.  MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal opportunity University.  This document is available in an alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the Gerontology Program at 507-389-1563 (v), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY).